Reflections Without Mirror : The Mystery of Abiku Unravelled: Part 2.
The Mystery of Abiku Unravelled Part 2
They ( the babalawos) had no knowledge of blood group or genotype. Genotype simply means genetic makeup of organisms or variant forms of a gene that are carried by an organism. The genotype in humans refers to the haemoglobin gene constituents on the red blood cells.
Before I proceed further on the genotype, it is important to realise that the Oracle also was not silent on this phenomenon, and it gave guidance when approached from the beginning. The problem then was that the oracle may not have been contacted from the beginning. Sometimes the oracle prescribed to the man whose wife was the mother of Abiku to marry another wife, sometimes there were other prescriptions, the babalawo must eat also at least they would not be sucking wind and so there was temptation to say what oracle did not say in order to collect sacrifice and they were the only one that understand the language of the gods. From my investigation, Ifa has a wide knowledge about life and treatment of diseases but the interpretation of his message by his priest is a major problem since its messages are coded just like Moses of the bible was a stammerer and Aaron had to interpret or be his mouth. Aaron was the only one who understood Moses perfectly and delivered his message perfectly. You begin to wonder why the almighty God who has the power to quicken Moses’ mouth did not do it, so that Moses would not need an interpreter or “Arowasi” as it were. This is why we called him ‘ Olodumare’ Awamaridi Kabiyesi ( unquestionable). He does what he likes.
There were so many mismatched husbands and wives in terms of genotype and by the time the oracle was consulted after many ‘ Abikus’ it may be too late and the oracle may recommend to the husband to marry another wife or the wife should leave the man because they were not meant for each other and that unless they are separated the problem will continue, it may also go to forecast that the couple will only have one child. The reason was that Ifa understood the incompatibility of the genotypes and that if two dangerous genotypes marry each other, there is a chance of one to survive. That is when we think the ‘gbekude’ has worked wonders and preserved the life of the surviving child. This is to answer my honourable professor of Yoruba Language & History who sent a rejoinder to me last week. He has been a tremedeous help to me in digging deep on Abiku matters by providing me with some academic materials on the subject matter. He posited that he had made nine trips on record. He was told as he himself was not aware of the death and life trips. He is the only one who survived with the help of Gbekude gourds. I am not underating the potency of Gbekude here. It was their scientific way in the olden days to reduce mortality rate where there was no hospital but at the same time, I cannot authenticate its potency.
Now, genotypes are divided into 4.
1. AA
2. AC
3.AS
4.SS
AC is very rare and so I do not propose to deal with it.
The most significant and deadly one is the SS. Sickle cell disease is the name for a group of inherited health conditions that affect the red blood cells. The most serious type is called sickle cell anaemia.
Sickle cell disease is particularly common in people with an African or Caribbean family background.
Many of us are just fortunate because we did not check our genotypes before we entered into marriage. All glory belongs to God.
AA can marry anybody, and there won’t be any problem with their offspring, but AA people are susceptible to malaria
It is too risky for AS to marry AS because there is 25 per cent or one out of four chance that one of the children born will be SS, that is sickle cell and highly likely to die young and be rated as abiku.
If AS marries SS, the odds are high that some of their children will be SS. Ss and SS should not even marry each other in any circumstances, no matter the level of love or prayer. Even if SS did not die young, the level of crises that happened to them in life should discourage anyone from making that mistake.
Where there was unequally yoke of wrong genotypes marriage in those days because of ignorance, it may result in Abikus that no babalawos with all the gbekudes in this world can cure
The poor hygenic conditions are contributing factors to the phenomenons of Abikus, witchcraft and wizadry can not be ruled out and in a polygamous family, poisoning of each others children are another factors that cannot be put aside.
And so in these modern days when people are now checking their genotype before getting married, it has reduced the rate of Abiku by almost 30 per cent. Improvement of hygiene and living in a clean environment has reduced the rates of Abiku by another 25 per cent. Drinking good water, whether pipe borne water or from bore holes or wells, has reduced the rate of Abiku by 15 per cent.
Education is playing a fantastic roles which includes attending ante natal and post natal, this has cut death rates amongst children by another 25 per cent.
In summary, ignorance plays a key role in the phenomenon of Abiku in the olden days, and that is why in this modern age , there is nothing like Abiku anymore.
All being said, no one has been able to explain to me why those Abiku that were marked returned with the same mark when they were reborn. ” So when the snail is burnt in his cell, when the heated fragment , brand me deeply on the breast – You must know him when Abiku calls again”.
All in all, the mystery of Abiku remains inconclusive until such times when there is a credible explanation in regards to the ‘ mark’ that resurfaces again and again.
Niyi Aborisade is a lawyer,a Human Rights Activist and a historian
